daCi USA

We connected with daCi USA friends and colleagues, shared ideas and creativity, made new friends and connections. We were exposed to new dance styles and mixed generations of dancers had the chance to work together and learn from each other. Students and teachers that work together on a regular basis got to see and be with each other as equals... we are all students and learners at daCi USA.

I benefited from dancing with multiple generations and having the opportunity to create work together.

My dancers were able to experience new forms of dance while also sharing their own skills and ideas with other dancers. It was an opportunity for everyone to try new things, grow, and develop as a dancer.

This was an excellent Gathering. Very smoothly accomplished, classes well chosen and expertly taught, concerts moving and interesting. Congratulations to everyone who worked on it.

My dancers gained great experience working with a variety of kids, teens and adults; I was inspired with many new ideas for teaching to bring back to my studio and company. It was also fantastic to connect with so many people in our dance world here in the U.S.

I loved having the opportunity to travel to Australia and dance with people from around the world who share my passion for dance. My favorite classes were the Maori and Pacific Dance class from New Zealand, and the Indigenous Contemporary Dance class drawing on movement vocabulary from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures.

My favorite part of Panpapanpalya was performing at the hospital and seeing everyone react. The dance was really intense and full of emotion so most of the reactions were surprised or shocked. Also, something that really stood out to me was how hard my body worked and how much fun I had in Ugandan dance. I also really enjoyed the smoking ceremony and I thought meeting new people and learning where they're from was really cool. I also liked seeing the traditional dancing.

I learned so many things at this conference. But I especially loved working with my core group instructor David Williams. He was very funny. He called me Beyonce when he found out how much I liked her, which made me laugh. He encouraged me to do things that I thought I couldn’t do, like safely lifting other dancers who were bigger than me. He encouraged us to reach further and further through our dancing. He created beautiful dance, and good friendships, too.

This daCi conference (Australia 2018) was an incredible opportunity for me. It was my first time overseas, my first time performing out of the country, and it showed me just how universal dance can be. People of all ages, races, social and economic backgrounds were working together to share their love of dance. It’s amazing to see what dance can do and how it can work in the hearts of people all over the world. We saw presentations from dancers, educators, funders, and enthusiasts, all who know the same thing: that dance is important in the life of every child, and every person. The daCi USA conference at Hope in 2020 will be huge for dance at Hope as well as in Michigan, and will be a great chance to take what we’ve seen from this conference and apply it to our department. I am more passionate than ever about dancing, and this conference is the reason. It has changed my views on what dance is and can be, and on what role I can play in the dance community.